


Stupid Together

by graceolina37



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 11:26:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19829206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graceolina37/pseuds/graceolina37
Summary: The scene where Will destroys castle Byers from Mikes point of view, except it goes a little differently in this version.orThe byeler resolution we deserved.





	Stupid Together

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, this is just how I wish the scene would have gone.

Mikes heart was beating with the feeling that he’d done something completely and utterly wrong. It felt like when he got in trouble with his parents for lying to them or breaking one of his mom's good dishes, and he wished that he could take it back so he wouldn't have to feel bad about it anymore (and so he wouldn't be grounded). But the feeling of wrongdoing he had now was a thousand times worse, because the most important friendship of his life was at stake. If only he hadn't opened his stupid mouth, and said all those _stupid _things.__

____

_Stupid. So stupid. ___

______ _ _

Why would he say something like that? _It's not my fault you don't like girls. _Will had never actually told him that he liked… well, um, not girls, but he had noticed things over the years that made him wonder, like his recent obsession with The Karate Kid movie. Every time the party was trying to pick a movie, Max suggested they watch it, and Will was always quick to agree, claiming that it was still a really good movie, despite the fact that it didn't fall under the party’s preferred genre. And Mike knew that alone wasn't proof, but he had also never had a girlfriend, or shown any interest in the “female species” whatsoever. Plus, Mike just had a feeling. And the fact that Will had reacted to the sentence with only silence pretty much solidified the fact in Mikes head. And then he told Will that he wasn't trying to be a jerk, which was obviously the worst thing to say because he actually was being a complete douche.__

________ _ _ _ _

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! ___

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

He had to fix this. He had to make sure Will was okay, because if he didn't that guilty feeling in his chest would never go away. Mike rushed back inside to get Lucas and the two of them hopped on their bikes, too focused on getting to their friend to worry about the rain as they took off in the direction of the Byers’ house. 

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Please let him be okay _, Mike thought as he peddled away.__

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

When they finally got to Wills it was still pouring. They knocked and yelled but there was no answer.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He's not here!” Lucas yelled over the sound of the rain hitting the roof.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mike's first thought was that he never made it, that there was some kind of freak accident and Will was hurt. He felt his stomach drop at the thought of life without his best friend. But then, something clicked in his mind and he knew exactly where the boy was.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm going to go look around for him! You stay here in case he comes back!” Mike hollered to Lucas.

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Okay!” And with that, he was off. He should have known from the beginning, that this is where will was. Six months ago he would have. _When I was still a good friend _, Mike thought. He wished that he never would have let himself get this distanced from him, from what they used to be. But it was so easy to spend all his time with El, one because he really liked her, and two because it made him finally feel like a normal teenager, not the nerdy frogface kid who got pushed around all the time. In that moment, he couldn't even believe himself. That was the dumbest reason ever for ignoring his best friend all summer. He liked Will just as much as El. Maybe not in the same way, but still. Mike had no idea how he had even got so wrapped up in this “normal teenager” thing, he had never been one for it before. Maybe it was just a natural part of growing up. Whatever it was, he just hoped it wasn't too late to fix things with Will, because if he couldn't, he didn't know what he would do.__

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mike was pulled out of his thoughts when he finally reached Castle Byers. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was when he saw Will with a bat in his shaking hands, destroying his safe place, that Mike realized just how badly he had messed up. The weight in his chest got heavier than he ever thought it could be.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Will, stop!’ he yelled, wincing at the sound of the thin tree branches breaking. Will didn't even acknowledge that he was there. “Will please! You don't know what your doing, just stop!”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Go away, Mike!” Will yelled weakly between sobs, still not looking at the other boy. It sounded like the thing someone said when they didn't have the energy to say anything else. Mike felt tears start to form in his eyes as he noticed how hard his friend was crying.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Before Mike could acknowledge what he was doing, he surged forward, wrapping his arms around Will’s waist. His arms held tight around the smaller boy, trying to stop him from doing more damage the only way he could think of.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Let go of me!” Will yelled as he tried to squirm out of mikes grasp, dropping the bat in the process. 

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I’m sorry” Mike pleaded.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Let go,” Will said quieter this time, as he sank to his knees, all the fight going out of him. Mike followed him to the ground, never letting go for a second. Will continued to cry in his arms, and he could feel his friends pain like it was his own, like somehow Will’s happiness and well-being were directly connected to his own. That's the way it had always been, and even though they had drifted apart recently, it still held true. Mike didn't imagine there would come a day when it wouldn't. Mike rested his head on top Will’s and tightened his arms around him, doing his best to let him know that he wasn't alone. That he was here for him and he always would be.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I didn’t mean what I said,” Mike whispered, trying to reason. Clearly, he realized, it was the wrong thing to say, because it made Will angry all over again.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Like hell you didn’t!” Will yelled, twisting away from the taller boy, “We both know you meant every single word, Mike, so don't pretend that you didn't. You can't take it back!” 

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mike didn't respond, he didn't know how to. But before he could think of something to say, Will spoke again.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I wish you could though,” he started, “You don't know how bad I wish things could go back to the way they were before,” Mike could see the other boy thinking, almost as if he was deciding if he really wanted to say what was coming out of mouth, “before the mindflayer, and the upsidedown and... girlfriends”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“If girlfriends are what your worried about,” Mike thought about all of the signs, all of the times Will told him he wasn't normal or like the rest of the party (plus all of that not so disguised pining after Ralph Macchio). It took Mike a long time to realize what he meant, but now that he did, all he wanted was for Will to know that he could be happy too, happy with someone that he liked, even if it wasn't necessarily a girl. And knowing that, he chose his next words carefully, ambiguity being his friend in this situation, “I’m sure you'll meet the right person eventually. It just takes time, and then you'll probably be just like the rest of us.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I wish it was that easy.” Will stared at the ground with a far away look in his eyes, and that's when Mike knew that it was going to take a lot more than words to make Will realize that he was like the rest of them, that it was that easy. Because he was Will, Will the Wise, and that's all that really mattered.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mike looks down and sees Wills hands shaking, and is automatically reminded of another moment in time where they were sitting side by side, Mike attempting to do exactly what he was trying to do now, what he was always trying to do; comfort his best friend. All of a sudden, he reached over and covered Will’s hand with his own. 

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mike knew that the two of them still had a lot to talk about, but he knew that out in the rain, holding hands on the muddy ground was not the place.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Will?” Mike asked and the other boy looked over at him, “Let me get you home, okay?” Will glanced back over at castle Byers once more and then slowly nodded. 

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They walked back slowly, and as they did, mike placed a tentative arm around Will’s shoulders, not sure how accepting he would be of the touch at this point. But will didn't push him away, just let out a shaky breath. Mike thought of all the times he had done the exact same thing. It used to be so much easier, the casual touches and conversations where one of them, usually Mike, would go on about some new topic for as long as the other would give them all their attention. But it wasn't like that anymore. These days, there was something strained about every interaction they had, and Mike knew it was his fault.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He chanced a glance over at will, and all he saw in his eyes was hurt, like the look of someone who had lost so much. And when mike thought about it, he really had lost a lot. Part of his innocence was taken away the minute he was taken by the demogorgon, and Hawkins lab made sure that he never really got it back. And now, as he understood it, Will felt that he was losing Mike too. And Mike needed to make sure Will knew that would never happen.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He really needed to fix this.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

As soon as the two boys stepped onto the Byers’ porch, Lucas was full of questions.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you okay? Where were you?” he directed at Will. Before he could answer, though, Mike did so for him.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You should go home. I got him.” he said

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“But shouldn't we talk about-” Lucas started before Mike cut him off.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I said I got him. Look, it's okay. We’ll see you tomorrow,” Lucas seemed unsure of this and looked to Will for approval.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm alright,” Will assured him, “its late, you should both go home. I'm probably just gonna go to bed, anyway. It's been a long day and im pretty tired.”

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mike didn't even consider leaving for a second. Will shouldn't have to be by himself in this state. Besides, he still needed to make things right between them. He felt like he couldn't possibly do anything else until he knew that he felt better.

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

15 minutes later, after some serious bickering, Mike and Will sat side by side on the couch, finally in dry clothes for what seemed to be the first time in hours, even though it really hadn't been that long since Will stormed out of the Wheeler household, and an even shorter time since Mike found him destroying Castle Byers. _Oh right, _Mike thought, _Castle Byers. _____

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why'd you wreck it?” he asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew. He wanted to hear it from Will.

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You were right.” Will said after a moment, “ we’re not kids anymore. I don’t need that stupid place,” 

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Its not stupid.”

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"I'm stupid, then,” the way Will said it, like he really meant it, made Mikes chest ache again. He really needed the other boy to know that it wasn't true.

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Will, stop. You're not stupid. I'm stupid” Mike added, because he was. He was so stupid for ever letting his best friend drift so far away.

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Okay were both stupid,” Will, said the corner of his mouth twitching up into what seemed to be the first smile Mike had seen on him in awhile. 

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Stupid together,” Mike added after a moment, thinking back to a similar interaction. He heard Will sigh, and he knew that he was thinking about it too. _Sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy, _Mike had said. _Me too, _had been Wills answer.____

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Hey, well if we're both going crazy, then we'll go crazy together, right? ___

______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Yeah. Crazy together. ___

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You were right too, ya know.” Mike piped up, “I am ruining the party.” Will didn't say anything, just stared up at him. Mike could tell he was done reassuring him that the truth wasn't actually what it was, because nothing was actually fine.

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And I'm ruining us too, our friendship, I mean. I just got so caught up in… in everything,” _Eleven, being normal, everything but you, _“I'm so, so sorry will.”__

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know you are” Will said, looking down but then giving his friend a sad smile, “but it's not all your fault. I can't blame you for everything when its me who's just so… different”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Will, none of this is your fault, it was me who-”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, Mike, don't you understand?” Mike could see tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. The smaller exhaled before continuing, “if I was like you, if I had a girlfriend, or even wanted one, this wouldn't be so hard,” he gestured between them, “Am I wrong?”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I'm not ready yet, though. To date... someone or give up D&D, because playing games in your basement all day is much better than facing, well, everything. Everything that comes with being me that I don't want to have to think about.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mike understood, now, that Will was just scared. Except this time there were no monsters, no spies, or gates, or shadows lurking in the back of his mind. This was something painfully real. And Mike didn't blame him for wanting to hide from it for as long as possible. Because when you face something like that, you can't just shout at it to go away. Its apart of you, and even though its not necessarily a bad thing, it's still something you have to deal with. As Mike thought about it more, the gears started turning in his head. He thought about The Karate Kid, and how he never really minded watching it over and over again. He thought about how he would watch it a million times, just if he would get to see Will smile. But he put the thoughts at the back of his mind. He wasn’t ready to address any of that at the moment. Right now, this wasn't about him.

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mike slowly snaked his arms around Will’s waste and rested his head on the other boys shoulder.

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I have no idea what the right thing to say here is. At this point we both know I'm terrible will words,” Will sighed out a small laugh, but Mike remained completely serious, “but I promise that everything is going to be okay.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You can’t promise that.” 

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Of course I can, because I’m going to make sure it is. Even when I’m being a shitty friend, or we fight, or I can’t fully understand what your going through, I’m always gonna be right here” he tightened his arms as he said the last part, “No matter what.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know I’ve been a major jerk lately, but I’m gonna try harder to… not be. Because seriously,” Mike moves his head to look Will in the eyes, “I can’t live without you.”

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Will smiled at Mike, and Mike smiled back. In that moment, it finally, finally, felt like they could get back to normal. Get back to them. Because, as he sat there, hugging a happy Will Byers for the first time in months, Mike knew that what he said was true; everything would be okay. 

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They would make sure it was. _Together._

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Just as it should be.

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
